My beloved brethren and sisters, joyful are those who have a loving mother! They enjoy sincere love, soothe and loving words. They have near them a guardian of their pure, righteous life. Oh, and how many ardent prayers does a mother say before the Most High Throne for her child! Even to her death bed, her first concern is her child. Through our mothers we all have a precious treasure, of unmatched value in this world. Those who have lost their mothers at a young age are condemned to sorrow, feeling an empty space in their heart.

We sympathise with these poor people, we call them orphans. But my dear ones, know that the Church says today loudly so that everyone can hear that they are not orphans and they never were! Everyone on earth has a loving, saint and caressing Mother, who watches for us from the cradle to the grave, and this Mother is our Heavenly Queen.

(Translation from Arhimandrit Chiril Pavlov, Lauda Maicii Domnului, Editura Egumenița, Galați, 2012, p. 5)